as in to rant
disapproving
to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right
We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.
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Recent Examples of pontificate
Cable news anchors pontificated on the possible environmental toll were the Al Salmi’s cargo of two million barrels of crude discharged into the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
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Charlie Campbell,
Time,
1 Apr. 2026
Known as the Dragon Slayer, he’s often shown meditating, praying, waxing philosophical, and pontificating on nobility, integrity and honor.
—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Indeed, the Abbé pontificates on pretty much every topic known to man as the pair try in vain to tunnel their way to freedom.
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Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
But there's plenty of pontificating about the potential ripple effects of such a development.
—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pontificate
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
1 Apr. 2026
Known as the Dragon Slayer, he’s often shown meditating, praying, waxing philosophical, and pontificating on nobility, integrity and honor.
—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Indeed, the Abbé pontificates on pretty much every topic known to man as the pair try in vain to tunnel their way to freedom.
—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
But there's plenty of pontificating about the potential ripple effects of such a development.
—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pontificate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontificate
Verb
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Rinderknecht allegedly ranted to passengers about Luigi Mangione, who is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, capitalism and vigilantism, The Associated Press reported.
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But, for a pitcher who once famously ranted about fastball velocity, this all seems built on a pretty shaky foundation, given those wildly moving radar gun readings.
Verb
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Amazon has deals on the exact brands the multi-hyphenate wears and raves about, plus pieces pulled straight from her playbook (cough, her Instagram, cough).
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Elizabeth Stanziano reluctantly visited Norfolk, Virginia's Sail 250 festival after her mother raved for weeks about seeing the tall ships during the Bicentennial.
Cite this Entry
“Pontificate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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